www.pol.ac.uk

Installation and Setting Up of GLOSS OTT Radar Tide Gauges with DCP Telemetry

for ODINAFRICAand Future Developments

Peter Foden and Jeff PughUNESCO/IOC Oostende 2006

ODINAFRICA - Ocean Data and Information for Africa

Current, In Progress and Proposed GLOSS Tide Gauges

OTT Tide Gauge – Kit of Parts

Main Sea Level Sensors – Radar and Pressure

ODINAFRICA - Meteosat DCP Tide Gauge

The Component Parts of the OTT Gauge

OTT Logosens2 – Data Logger

OTT DCP/HDR Transmitter - Connections

OTT Power Supply – PCU 12

Kalesto Radar Sensor Connections

Pressure Sensor - Cable Connections

Radar Sensor Support Arm Designs

Simplified Radar Support Arm Design

Pressure Sensormounting supportbracket example:

- Needed to keep the Sensors in a stable and repeatable datum positions

The Proposed Tide Gauge Sites

Proposed OTT TG site – Karachi, Pakistan

Proposed TG site – Nouakchott, Mauritania

Tide Gauge Hut, Takoradi,Ghana – Proposed sitefor OTT Radar Gauge

Proposed OTT TG site – Port Sonara, Limbe, Cameroon

Proposed new OTT TG Site – Pointe Noire, Congo

Summary of TG Site requirements

• A weather proof tide gauge hut for electronics• 24 hour security• Electricity and if possible Telephone• Tools for installation (I have a list)• A mounting arm for the radar gauge• Mountings for the pressure sensors (one below

low tide and one at approximately MSL)• A pole for antennas• A simple stilling well for calibration checks• Regular Dipper and Tide Staff Measurements…

Staff Gauges and Dippers – Regular Checks

Available in 1 metre lengths that can be joined

Plastic or metal, graduated in centimetres

Dipper givesaudio and visualindication of height from a reference pointto Sea Level

Antenna Alignment and Data Checking

Antenna Pointing Utility – Eumetsat Website

DCP Data Checking and Download – Eumetsat Webpage

ODINAFRICA Telemetry issues

• Meteosat DCP is low cost and conforms to standards of Pacific TWS. Automatic data flow to GTS.

• Limited bandwidth, cannot report faster than every 15 minutes. The new minimum recommended data reporting rate is every 6 minutes.

• Alternative to DCP is required for

tsunami monitoring and faster data delivery – BGAN Broadband and SMS

BGAN Terminals

True Global Wi-Fi

Data rate up to 492 kb/s

Data messages by SMSor Internet

Liverpool BGAN Tide Gauge

BGAN Pricing – Standard Economy Rate

BGAN Terminal $2800Activation charge $35Monthly subscription $49IP Data rate/Mb $8.23Static IP/Month $30SMS per Message $0.57

5 Mb/Month of data $120.15

Summary

• For the first time high speed, low-cost real-time data telemetry from remote areas is possible using BGAN, addressing the poor latency issues of earlier telemetry systems

• Number of technical issues for BGAN:Long term reliability, Up time, Latency of SMS messages and interfacing to the GTS

• Adoption of broadband will have implications for IT infrastructures. In particular the high volume of data produced, how to store it and keep it secure

Possible Tsunami Monitoring System using BGANData Telemetry and SMS

ODINAFRICA – Ocean Data and Information for Africa

New development - BGAN

• True global Wi-Fi

• Data rate of up to 492 kb/s

• Suitable for Tsunami monitoring

• Portable and will work outside UK